1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a terminal-crimping device.
2. Description of Background Information
A terminal-crimping device is generally known as a device that connects a crimping terminal with the terminal end of a coated electric wire. In general, the terminal-crimping device is a device unitizing a terminal belt-feeding mechanism for feeding a terminal belt and a press mechanism that severs terminals from the terminal belt fed and crimps the terminals on an electric wire. The device is designed to allow a crimping process to be continuously carried out by linking the respective mechanisms.
Heretofor, the press mechanism of a terminal-crimping device was equipped with a shank linked with the ram of a press device and a pressing unit installed on the shank. The pressing unit was equipped with a pressing member including a wire crimper and an insulation crimper, which are raised and lowered by the ram of the press device through the shank. Thus, terminals have been configured for crimping in cooperation with a pressed side member.
Therefore, in order to crimp a terminal between a crimper and an anvil, the setting of a so called crimp height (crimping height of a terminal) is required to comply with the crimper. Accordingly, a crimp height adjusting mechanism for adjusting the crimp height has been conventionally provided on the above-mentioned shank.
In such a construction, in order to link a terminal belt-feeding mechanism with a press mechanism, both mechanisms conventionally have been connected in a mechanical manner by a cam link provided on a shank. Accordingly, it was required to exchange the entire terminal-crimping device (including the anvil and crimping) device whenever a change of the type of terminal was needed.
However, frequent change of the type of terminal (terminal belt) recently has become required because of the diversification of terminals, requests for a small quantity production with diversified specifications, and the like.
Accordingly, the terminal belt-feeding mechanism and the press mechanism have been made into modules in recent years, and each is configured to allow a partial exchange to be made and designed to enhance universal usability. For example, an anvil capable of being installed and removed against the main body of a terminal-crimping device is disclosed in Utility Model SHO No. 62-175685.
Furthermore, a crimping unit capable of being installed on and removed from the block member on the main body side of a terminal-crimping device is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication (Unexamined) Hei No. 10-50450.
The crimping unit is connected with the ram of a press device in order to crimp a terminal on a coated electric wire, and the crimping unit was equipped with a wire crimper for crimping wire barrels formed on the terminal, an insulation crimper for crimping insulation barrels, and a holder integrally supporting these members. Furthermore, the crimping unit was configured for installation and removal of a shank fixed on the ram.
Additionally, a terminal-crimping device having a movable element capsule for changing feeding conditions in accordance with the type of terminal belt (for example, a prescribing member for prescribing a feeding pawl and the feeding pitch of the feeding pawl) and a driving mechanism for driving the moving element (for example, an air cylinder) is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication (Unexamined) Hei No. 11-135225.
Thus, in the above-mentioned conventional construction, since the crimping unit has been configured for installation and removal of a shank and the exchange of a crimping member such as a crimper or the like has been carried out, a crimp height adjusting mechanism provided on the shank was configured separately from the crimping unit. Accordingly, it was required to reset a crimp height without fail after changing a crimping unit, and there is a problem that it takes a long time to carry out the adjusting work after exchange of the crimping unit.
Additionally, when press conditions (specifically, the setting conditions of an anvil and a crimper) were changed according to a press mechanism, a terminal belt-feeding mechanism had to be individually set for different processes in accordance with the above-mentioned conventional construction, which inevitably caused a problem for adjusting both setting conditions.
In particular, since the arrangement and a moving range of the moving elements also require individual change in accordance with dimensional differences in the terminal belt to be fed, respectively, because the moving elements of the terminal-feeding mechanism usually encompass a plurality of factors (for example, a member for changing a feeding pitch during feeding of a terminal belt, and/or a guide member for guiding the terminal belt), and therefore a longer time has been required for changing such setting conditions.
Considering the above-mentioned problems, the present invention was achieved, and an object of the present invention is to provide a terminal-crimping device that can easily, rapidly and precisely carry out the positioning work after exchange of a pressing unit. Another object is to provide a terminal-crimping device that improves workability by linking the positioning condition of a press condition with the feed condition of a terminal belt in order to ensure the universal usability of a terminal-feeding mechanism.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems according to one aspect of the present invention, a terminal-crimping device is provided that includes a press mechanism for crimping a terminal on a coated electric wire and a terminal-feeding mechanism which feeds a terminal belt into the press mechanism. A main body is assembled onto the press device, and a shank is provided that is guided to be reciprocably movable on the main body and connected with a ram of the press device. A pressing unit is also provided that is driven by the shank, and a shank module that includes the shank is provided to allow the shank to be integrally exchangeable with the pressing unit. Furthermore, the shank module is detachably connected with the main body and the ram.
In another aspect of the invention, the shank is linked with the main body and the ram such that it can be installed and detached as an integral element of the shank module including the pressing unit. Thus, it is possible to exchange the shank module for each type of terminals to be crimped by forming the shank module to be separable from the main body. Additionally, an adjusting function of crimp height may be set for each shank module, and the integral installation and removal of the main body and together with the pressing unit can be carried out, and the adjustment after exchange of the pressing unit becomes considerably easier when the pressing unit is designed for universal usability.
In a further aspect of the present invention, the pressing unit includes a wire crimper which crimps a wire barrel formed on the terminal, and an insulation crimper which crimps an insulation barrel, and the shank has a crimp height adjusting mechanism which permits adjustment by relatively displacing respective crimper heights relative to the ram.
Thus, the adjustment of the crimp height can be preliminarily made with each pressing unit, and the crimp height can also be more precisely adjusted after exchange of the pressing unit.
In another aspect of the present invention, the terminal-crimping device includes a linking mechanism that links reciprocating motion of the press mechanism with a feeding motion of the terminal-feeding mechanism. The linking mechanism includes a feeding motion detector that detects the feeding motion of the terminal-feeding mechanism, and a crimping motion detector that detects the crimping motion of the press mechanism. The terminal crimping device also includes a control that carries out motion control of the terminal-feeding mechanism and the press mechanism based on detection signals of both detection means.
According to another aspect of the present invention, when the motion of the shank is linked with the terminal-feeding motion by the terminal-feeding mechanism, the linking can be configured as an electrical control. Therefore, it becomes possible to further simplify the shape of the shank and to accelerate the production of modules.
In a further aspect of the invention, a terminal-crimping device is installed on the main body, and an opening and closing member is provided to open and close between an installation and removal position capable of installing and removing the shank within a reciprocating space where the shank is raised and lowered and a blocking position that regulates the removal of the shank arranged in the reciprocating space. An operator is provided that operates the opening and closing motion of the opening and closing member.
Thus, the installation and removal/exchange of the shank can be carried out without using tools by opening and closing the opening and closing member with an operator member.
In another aspect of the present invention, a terminal-crimping device is provided with a press mechanism that crimps a terminal on a coated electric wire. The device includes a terminal-feeding mechanism which feeds a terminal belt, on which a plurality of terminals are continuously supported by a carrier in parallel at fixed intervals, into the press mechanism in order to feed the terminals into the press mechanism. A base that supports the press mechanism and the terminal-feeding mechanism is also provided, and the press mechanism is constructed to be able to be exchanged within the base in accordance with the type of terminal to be crimped. The terminal-feeding mechanism includes moving elements by which the feeding condition can be changed in accordance with the type of terminal belt, and a driving mechanism for driving the moving elements. A positioning mechanism for positioning a setting position of the moving elements by the driving mechanism corresponding to terminal belt is provided on the press mechanism.
In a further aspect of the present invention, the principal parts of the terminal-feeding mechanism can be automatically changed according to the positioning mechanism provided on the press mechanism, by changing the position of the press mechanism when the feed condition of the terminal belt is changed. According to the present invention, a feeding pawl for feeding the terminal belt to a process processing, a prescribing member for prescribing the feeding pitch of the feeding pawl, and a guide for the terminal belt fed are examples of xe2x80x9cmoving elementsxe2x80x9d. Furthermore, the drive according to the driving mechanism may be a drive for the positioning motion of the terminal-feeding, and may be a drive for a feeding motion for feeding the terminal belt.
In a further aspect of the present invention, the press mechanism includes an anvil unit that receives a terminal, the anvil unit being exchangeable in accordance with the terminal type, and the positioning mechanism is provided on the anvil unit. In this mode, since only the anvil unit can be changed from the entire press mechanism, the universal usability of the press mechanism can be further enhanced, and since the positioning mechanism is provided on the anvil unit, the positioning change of the terminal-feeding mechanism can be automatically carried out corresponding to the anvil unit even if the anvil unit is changed.
In still another aspect of the present invention, the driving mechanism includes a first driving member, which concurrently holds a clamping device that clamps the exchanged press mechanism. In this mode, the installation and removal process of the press mechanism and the drive of a fixed moving element (for example, a guide member) can be simultaneously carried out by the single driving member (for example, an air cylinder), and a rapid position change can be carried out by simpler construction.
In a still further aspect of the present invention, the driving mechanism includes a second driving member, which sequentially drives another moving element against a positioning device of the press mechanism which engages the first driving member. Thus, since the position of the residual moving element can be designed in relation with the press mechanism which is positioned by the first driving member when the positioning of the press mechanism is carried out by the first driving member, a precise positioning can be positively carried out even if a plurality of moving elements exist.